1971-2005(Literacy, Livelihood, and Development)

In the first 34 years of its existence, AAEA
successfully undertook projects like Non
Formal Education (NFE), One Thousand House Hold
Industries (HHI), National Adult Education Programme
(NAEP), Women’s Health and Domestic Violence, and Lok
Jumbish Project (LJP) to name
a few.

During its infancy, AAEA worked to educate jail inmates
and child labour. AAEA also made a breakthrough in
educating Muslim women and girls living in the ‘walled’
Ajmer city. These women and girls were also
empowered economically by relevant vocational
trainings.

These experiences gave AAEA confidence and resolve
to economically empower poor womenfolk in general.
State Industry Department sponsored One Thousand
House Hold Industries (HHI) project to realize the dream
of economic empowerment. Similar efforts were made
through Training for Rural Youth for Self Employment
(TRYSEM) and Schedule Caste Youth Training for Self
Employment (SCYTE).

AAEA strongly believes that education is the most
powerful medium of change. In 1971 AAEA adopted a
village Bisudani and was successful in making the
village totally literate within a short span of two years.
Bisudani was the first village to achieve total literacy in
Ajmer district long before the concept of total literacy
was even heard of.

Bisudani experience enthused AAEA to work more
ambitiously in Central Government sponsored National
Adult Programme. Intensive and sustained efforts were
made in Arain and Pisangan blocks through NAEP, NFE
and Post Literacy and Continuing Education programmes.
An independent IIM(A) evaluation rated AAEA
efforts very highly.

It was observed that many poor and deprived boys and
girls in villages and towns left or dropped out of the
mainstream of formal education. AAEA found it
imperative to address their needs through NFE projects.
Later these efforts continued under Lok Jumbish
and Doosara Dashak projects. These projects aimed at
universalization of adolescents’ and children’s education
by enhanced community participation and qualitative
improvement in government-run schools. IRANGAN
Reading Clubs were added to some schools to make
learning a more joyful experience for children.

AAEA Capacity Building efforts

Various trainings have been conducted from time to time
to orient, re-orient and enable the functionaries of AAEA to
be more effective in their efforts. AAEA has a number of
capable, experienced trainers and resource persons who
team up to train different groups.

In initial years of the organization AAEA effectively trained
two groups of national volunteers under National Social
Volunteer Scheme. Many of these volunteers later joined
the AAEA team. Under Women’s Development Programme
(WDP) of the state government, AAEA initiated a state-level
resource centre for WDP functionaries, IDARA (Information
Development and Resource Agency) and effectively-trained
grassroot women functionaries. Many groups were
empowered through IDARA’s trainings. Sathing Ro Kagad,
a bulletin for semi-literate Saathins (grassroot women
functionaries of WDP) and village women, was effective in
keeping them abreast of concepts and developments.

AAEA, while working for WDP, felt a strong need to address
adolescent girls. A training of trainers (TOT) was organized
on reproductive health for grassroot social activists.

Dairying being an important and crucial means of livelihood
in countryside Ajmer, trainings were also conducted for
barefoot veterinary doctors.

Shikshakarmis, LJ functionaries, DD workers and
instructors, supervisors of NAEP & NFE were effectively
trained from time to time. Role of women panchs and
sarpanchs is crucial in good governance, hence district-
level trainings were organized to empower and orient these
women leaders.

About AAEA

Ajmer Adult Education Association (AAEA), a registered voluntary organization, has been working in Ajmer district since 1971.